Chapter 22 : Planners

Po smiled brightly. "I got an idea."

The four turned to Po, wondering.

"Good idea or bad idea?" Monkey asked as he was now worried that Po would come up with another idea that might put them in more unfortunate situation.

"Of course it's a good one. Listen up, guys," he leant to his comrades. "I have figured out the way to escape from here."

"Really?"

"Yes." He glanced at the only snake in that cell. "And I'm gonna need Viper as the key to our cuffs."

Viper squinted, never knew that she could be used as a key. "Me as the key? How come?"

"You are the key… well… literally," Po replied excitedly. "You remember how when you unlocked a handcuff using your tail? You can use the same way to us too."

Viper took a look at the end of her tail. She admittedly once managed to unlock a handcuff without any key by using her tail back when she and her comrades were in Gongmen City, when Lord Shen captured them. But she was not sure if her tail would work this time.

"How?" Po asked, smilling and waiting for a respond from Viper.

The snake slithered closer to Po, examining the handcuff that was cuffing the panda. "I don't know Po. But... let me try."

Viper sticked the end of her tail into the panda's handcuff, starting to pick the lock.

"Did it work?" Po asked again as Viper was still working.

"I'm just get started. Just wait in minutes."

Five seconds later.

"Did it work?" the same question again.

"Not yet."

"Now?"

"No."

"Okay. How about now?"

"Po!" the snake was fed-up.

"Okay... okay… I'll shut up now. I just can't wait to—"

Click

It was, perhaps, the most beautiful sound they'd ever heard. Viper smiled, satisfied by her own work. She successfully unlocked the handcuff.

"Whoohoo…It works!" Po shouted delightedly as he found out that his arms were free now. "Oh, I miss you guys." He kissed and talked to his arms.

The four rolled their eyes seeing Po's action. Viper turned to Monkey and Crane and unlocked their handcuffs just like she did to Po's.

"Wow… Viper ; you're very usefull," Monkey commented, stretching out his hands. "Maybe you're more suitable to be a key rather than a warrior."

Viper replied it with a hiss and a death glare.

"Just kidding." The primate grinned dryly.

"Now Po ; what's your next plan?" Crane asked.

Po was thinking for a moment.

One of the guards, who was the closest one to their cell, was walking back and forth, staying sentry with his weapon. But what caught Po's attention was that the guard had some keys to the cells hanging on his belt.

The panda smirked. "Watch and learn."

TLoTDaTT

Tigress had laid down her back on the bed. She was about to take a rest when suddenly someone, without knocking the door, entered her room. Tigress quickly pushed herself off the bed.

"Mother. Did you—"

Then with a little bit disappointment found out that that someone actually was only Yuan Sheng.

"Oh. It's just you," Tigress said with sullen face as if the prince's presence was not expected at all.

"Mother?" the prince narrowed his eyes as he was curious who the mother that Tigress just mentioned was. But when he caught sight of a jade necklace on Tigress' neck, he gaped. "Does it belong to my mother?"

Tigress quickly gripped the jade on her necklace. "You mean this?"

Yuan Sheng nodded.

"Your mother gave this to me just a few minutes ago, she said that this has been passed from generation to generation in her family."

"Yes, I know that. But… why did she give it to you? You're not her—Oh, wait a second!" the prince soon realized something. "You…" he pointed his index finger to Tigress. "My mother just adopted you, didn't she?"

Tigress didn't answer it. She was highly sure Yuan Sheng had known the answer.

"Wow," the prince mumled, amazed. "It's a surprise. It hasn't been a week since you came here but now you're one of a royal family."

"Everyone will be surprised, including your father," Tigress muttered, folding her arms. "Now, why are you coming here?"

The prince cleared his throat as he stepped forward, coming closer to Tigress. "There's something I need to discuss with you. About today."

"Oh, yeah…," Tigress mumbled lazily. "About when your general called me useless, a failure and capable of nothing?"

"Well… not exactly," Yuan Sheng looked unsurely. "Are you offended?"

Tigress laughed briefly. "What do you think I should feel when someone insults me in front of the emperor? Happy?"

"Of course not. But—"

"That's right. I'm definitely offended!" Tigress cut off, almost roared.

"Don't yell at me! I did not affront you!"

For a second Tigress was just silent. She had no clue why she was mad at Yuan Sheng though in reality, as she had seen today, the prince defended her when general Luo was disdaining her failure.

"I'm sorry," She sat down on her bed, sighing. "I'm just… feeling confused."

"Confused? Why?"

"Don't pretend you don't know," Tigress said coldly. "You have known the answer already."

Yuan Sheng shrugged. "Perhaps."

"General Luo is probably right," Tigress went on. "I failed on my mission. Maybe it was right that he is more deserve to lead the army to attack The Great Valley."

Yuan Sheng's eyes went wide. "Hold on! You heard what my father and general Luo talked about this afternoon?"

"I've heard everything."

The prince slighty nodded in understand. "Alright. Then what's your opinion?"

"About what?"

"About what they said. General Luo is trying to replace you as the leader of our army."

"What's the big deal?"

"You didn't get what I am saying?" Yuan Sheng asked back, starting to explain slowly. "Let me get this straight for you ; you are the reincarnation of Khan. You are destined to complete his goal to conquer China. And you are the future leader to Darknest Land."

"So?"

Yuan Sheng clapped his forehead, frustrated. "Someone is snatching your position as the leader, don't you understand?!"

"Why? General Luo can be the leader if he wants ; he's more experienced," Tigress murmured, relaxing. "Anyway, shouldn't you have known that I would not take any part of your father's plan about conquering China?"

"We all already know that."

"That's good. Then you should not be worried about anything anymore."

Yuan Sheng stared at Tigress for a moment. She was not fully right about something that should not be worried about. His father was planning something to Tigress and she had not realized yet about it.

But not only his father. He himself was hiding something too from Tigress. By now, The Dragon Warrior and his comrades were still in the prison. He had told about this news to his father and general Luo. And just like he thought, they were very surprised knowing the one Long foretold to destroy their clan; The Dragon Warrior, was arrested so easily by the soldiers.

Though the legend had said that The reincarnation of Khan and the incarnation of Long would fight each other, still the emperor was afraid that Tigress would change her mind and return to her comrades if she met them again. And that could ruin his plan about continuing his ancestor's ambition. That's why he agreed with his son to execute The Dragon Warrior and his fellow masters tomorrow.

However, Yuan Sheng had no idea what his father's plan to make Tigress join his army.

"Listen up," Yuan Sheng spoke slowly now. "I'm not lying to you, okay. My father and general Luo are planning something—which I don't know what it would be about— to you. So, my advice to you is to be more careful. It's not a wise decision if you keep disappointing them by avoiding to fulfill your destiny."

Tigress curled her lip. "I knew it."

Yuan Sheng raised an eyebrow. "You knew? But how? I just told you about it a moment ago."

"I'm not stupid. I have sensed the incongruity behind your father's sweet attitude to me."

"Uh-huh?! And yet, you're still acting like nothing happened?"

"What am I supposed to do? I myself don't know what they're up to. And you know, something could go wrong if you think that I'm gonna-"

"Master Tigress!"

Suddenly, someone hurriedly came in Tigress' room.

Tigress and Yuan Sheng turned around. Yong the maid, with a pale face, was standing on the doorway, panicking.

"Yong?" Tigress quickly rushed to the maid. "You alright?"

The maid panted rapidly. "Ohmygosh. Ohmygosh! Ouch…" she held her chest.

"Relax," Tigress said softly, getting the maid calm. "Now, take it easy ; take a deep breath." She suggested.

Yong tried to catch her breath. After few seconds later, she started to look calmer.

"Master Tigress," the maid struggled to speak. "It's… it's the empress."

Yuan Sheng frowned as he heard his mother was mentioned. "What happened with my mother?"

"She's dying."